Security shield for garage door release mechanism

ABSTRACT

A security shield to cover a release mechanism for a motorized garage door opener provides an enclosure adapted for location around an overhead guide rail release mechanism and a blocking shield including a device for attaching the blocking shield and the enclosure to the connecting member.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/964,144, filed Dec. 26, 2013 and incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to security devices formotorized garage door openers, and in particular to such devices whichlimit access to emergency release mechanisms on such garage dooropeners.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Common residential garage door openers typically include a horizontaldrive mechanism that connects to the top middle of a garage door.Security for preventing unauthorized access through the garage door isprovided by an encoded remote control receiver that causes activation ofthe garage door opener only upon receipt of the proper encoded wirelesssignal. The horizontal drive mechanism typically includes a guide track,a drive mechanism and means for connecting the garage door to the drivemechanism. The connection point to the drive mechanism also typicallyincludes an emergency release mechanism to allow the garage door to bemanually opened in the event of a power outage. The emergency releasemechanism typically includes a short rope and handle to enable releaseof the door by applying downward tension to the rope. Unfortunately,this safe and convenient release arrangement has been a target ofburglars who dissengage the release mechanism by using a stiff wire,such as a clothing hanger with a hook, to reach through a crack betweenthe garage door and door frame to access the release mechanism and therope handle.

Therefore, it is desirable to enable home owners to prevent suchmalicious access to the release mechanism.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides a security shield tocover a release mechanism for a motorized garage door opener,comprising: an enclosure adapted for location around an overhead guiderail release mechanism, wherein the enclosure surrounds sides and abottom of the release mechanism leaving a first opening on a top side ofthe enclosure to allow clearance for the release mechanism and aconnecting member to a garage door, and a second opening facing oppositethe connecting member to allow manual access to the release mechanism;and a blocking shield including a device for attaching the blockingshield and the enclosure to the connecting member, the blocking shieldextending toward the release. mechanism to block access to the releasemechanism through the first opening.

The device for attaching the blocking shield and the enclosure to theconnecting member may include a pair of bolts which prevent rotation ofboth the blocking shield and the enclosure. The enclosure and theblocking shield may be constructed with rolled steel. The enclosure mayinclude a piece of rolled steel that wraps around a bottom and sides ofthe release mechanism. The enclosure may also cover a portion of a topside.

The enclosure may be formed from a semicircular-shaped blank having fourradially directed fold lines in the semicircular shape, which fold linescreate three full sides of the enclosure, a partial fourth side andopposing minimal and larger end openings when the blank is folded to 90°along each of the four radially directed fold lines. The parital fourthside may form the first opening and the larger opening may be the secondopening. The semicircular shaped blank may also includes a pair of tabsextending from radially opposite sides of the semicircular shape to formattachment tabs for the enclosure to the connecting member.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is illustratively shown and described in referenceto the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a garage door attached to a motorizedgarage door opener;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a release mechanism for connecting agarage door to a motorized garage door opener as shown in FIG. 1 andincluding an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a detached member of the embodiment ofthe present invention of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another detached member of theembodiment of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the members of FIGS. 3 and 4 attached toeach other.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a blank which can be folded to form the detachedmember of FIG. 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a portion of a garage door 10 coupled to a motorized garagedoor opener 12 by means of a connecting member 14 and a releasemechanism 16. Generally, garage door 10 is supported at opposing ends bya weight bearing rail 20 engaged by wheels 22 mounted to garage door 10.Garage door opening mechanism 12 typically includes an overhead guiderail 24 and an inner drive mechanism (not shown) of any suitable means,such as a motor driven chain (not shown). The internal drive mechanismis connected to connecting member 14 by a release mechanism 16 whichserves a dual purpose of providing connection with the drive mechanismand also allowing release or disconnection from the drive mechanism bymanual activation of lever 25 via tension on a pull rope 26.

FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of the interconnection between connectingmember 14 and release mechanism 16 including an embodiment of thepresent invention in the form of security shield 30. Security shield 30includes an enclosure 32 and a blocking shield 34 and is attached toconnecting member 14 by two bolts 36, which bolts 36 also interconnectenclosure 32 and blocking shield 34.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the enclosure 32 of FIG. 2. Enclosure32 is constructed from metal, such as rolled steel, to have a bottomportion 38, side portions 40, top portions 42 and attachment tabs 44.Top portions 42 are sized and shaped to leave a top opening 46 forlocation and installation around a portion of release mechanism 16 andconnecting member 14 of FIG. 2. Enclosure 32 also includes an opening 48located to face away from connecting member 14 with installation andthereby allow manual access to lever 25 of release mechanism 16.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of blocking shield 34 which includes aclamp 50 adapted for threadably mounting bolts 36. A back member 52 ofblocking shield 34 provides a secure connection to clamp 50, along withupper shield portion 54 and a two-part lower shield portion 56. By thisarrangement, blocking shield 34 and clamp 50 provide a means forinterconnecting blocking shield 34 and enclosure 32 to each other and toconnecting member 14.

FIG. 5 shows the security shield 30 including enclosure 32 and blockingshield 34 interconnected. Enclosure 32 is approximately 5.5 inches longand opening 48 is approximately 4.5 inches wide by 4 inches tall. Slot46 is approximately 3.5 inches long and 1.25 inches wide. Blockingshield 36 is approximately 7 inches long and each of the back portion52, upper shield portion 54 and two-part lower shield portion 56 isapproximately 1.5 inches wide.

FIGS. 2 and 5 best illustrate the interaction of those members incombination with release mechanism 16. Clamp 50 readily providesconnection of security shield 30 to connecting member 14, enclosinglever 25 of release mechanism 16. Opening 46 of enclosure 32 straddlesopposing sides of release mechanism 16 and, and opening 48 enablesmanual access to lever 25 of release mechanism 16. Blocking shield 34,including its back portion 52, upper shield portion 54 and two-partlower shield portion 56 effectively blocks all direct or line-of-sightaccess through opening 46 to lever 25. The use of two bolts 36 preventsrotation of the installed shield.

In this manner, a stiff wire inserted around garage door 10 cannot beused to activate release mechanism 16 because all the direct access torelease lever 25 for such a wire is prevented and because pulling therelease rope towards garage door 10 is ineffective.

Construction of shield 30 may be accomplished by any suitable means,including the bending of a rolled steel blank 60 shown in FIG. 6 forcreating enclosure 32 (FIG. 3). Blank 60 is almost semicircular in shapeand the housing portion of enclosure 32 is formed by bending the longerbend lines 62-66 inward at 90° angles. Bend lines 62-65 are radiallydirected within the semicircular shape of blank 60 at angles ofapproximately 40′ between adjacent fold lines 62-65. In one embodiment,fold lines 63, 64 share a first intersection point 68, while fold lines62, 65-67 share a second intersection point 69 which is located inwardfrom point 68. When the blank is bent to 90° along bend lines 62-65 itforms three full sides and a fourth partial side of enclosure 32 andleaves a minimal first opening at one end and a larger second opening 48(FIGS. 3 and 5). Sequentially, blank 60 is first bent upward relativethe drawing sheet along longer bend lines 62 and 65. Then shorter bendlines 66, 67 are bent in the opposite direction to create tabs 44 forattachment to connecting member 14. Lastly, longer bend lines 63 and 64are used to complete enclosure 32.

The present invention is illustratively described above in reference tothe disclosed embodiments. Various modifications and changes may be madeto the disclosed embodiments by persons skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope of the present invention as defined in theappended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A security shield to cover a release mechanismfor a motorized garage door opener, comprising: an enclosure adapted forlocation around an overhead guide rail release mechanism, wherein theenclosure surrounds sides and a bottom of the release mechanism leavinga first opening on a top side of the enclosure to allow clearance forthe release mechanism and a connecting member to a garage door, and asecond opening fixing opposite the connecting member to allow manualaccess to the release mechanism; and a blocking shield including adevice for attaching the blocking shield and the enclosure to theconnecting member, the blocking shield extending toward the releasemechanism to block access to the release mechanism through the firstopening.
 2. The security shield of claim 1, wherein the device forattaching the blocking shield and the enclosure to the connecting memberincludes a pair of bolts which prevent rotation of both the blockingshield and the enclosure.
 3. The security shield of claim 1, wherein theenclosure and the blocking shield are constructed with rolled steel. 4.The security shield of claim 1, wherein the enclosure includes a pieceof rolled steel that wraps around a bottom and sides of the releasemechanism,
 5. The security shield of claim 4, wherein the enclosure alsocovers a portion of a top side.
 6. The security shield of claim 1,wherein the enclosure is formed from a semicircular-shaped blank havingfour radially directed fold lines in the semicircular shape, which foldlines create three full sides of the enclosure, a partial fourth sideand opposing minimal and larger end openings when the blank is folded to90° along each of the four radially directed fold lines.
 7. The securityshield of claim 6, wherein the parital fourth side forms the firstopening and the larger opening is the second opening.
 8. The securityshield of claim 6, wherein the semicircular shapped blank also includesa pair of tabs extending from radially opposite sides of thesemicircular shape to form attachment tabs for the enclosure to theconnecting member,